One of the positives about the religion Islam is that, contrary to what many think, it is NOT a tribal religion.  It was always conceived by Muhammad as a worldwide religion.  This is a good thing, and, although I think that Muhammad is a false prophet, I will concede that this is a great strength of the religion.

As for Judaism, God chose Israel as his special people.  That is true.  However, if you read the Old Testament, you will immediately see that it was God’s intent all along that the religion of Abraham was for all people.  In Genesis 22:18, Abraham is told that “through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”  There are many dozens of passages, scattered through the Pentateuch, the historical books, the Psalms and the Prophets which make it clear that God is the God of all nations, and God always planned to bless all nations, not just the Jews. I am listing several dozen passages along this line below.  So, the idea that Judaism was a tribal religion is slightly true, but it is very far from the whole story.  In fact, I would argue that the evidence from Judaism that it was always intended to be a world religion is at least as strong as the evidence from the Qur’an.

As for Christianity, all know that it is and always was intended to be a world religion.  Surely you know that!!!  It is absurd to accuse Christianity of being a tribal religion.  This is so obvious, that, to be honest, I do not think I need to supply scriptures to prove the point.

John Oakes

Genesis 18:18 – “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.”

Genesis 22:18 – “..and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Genesis 26:4 – “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,..”

Genesis 28:14 – “Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”

Exodus 9:16 – “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Joshua 4:24 – “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

1 Kings 8:43 – “..then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”

1 Kings 8:60 – “..so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.”

1 Chronicles 16:23 – “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

1 Chronicles 16:24 – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

2 Chronicles 6:33 – “..then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”

Psalm 2:8 – “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

Psalm 22:27 – “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,..”

Psalm 33:8 – “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.”

Psalm 47:1 – “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

Psalm 48:10 – “Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.”

Psalm 64:9 – “All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.”

Psalm 67:2, 3 – “..that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”

Psalm 67:7 – “God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.”

Psalm 72:11 – “All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.”

Psalm 72:17 – “May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.”

Psalm 82:8 – “Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.”

Psalm 86:9 – “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.”

Psalm 96:1 – “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

Psalm 96:3 – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Psalm 97:6 – “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.”

Psalm 98:3 – “He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

Psalm 102:15 – “The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.”

Psalm 117:1 – “Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.”

Psalm 145:21 – “My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

Psalm 148:7, 11 – “Praise the Lord from the earth, …kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,..”

Isaiah 2:2 – “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.”

Isaiah 25:6 – “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.”

Isaiah 25:7 – “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;”

Isaiah 34:1 – “Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!”

Isaiah 40:5 – “And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 42:10 – “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth…”

Isaiah 43:6 – “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.”

Isaiah 45:22 – “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 45:23 – “By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”

Isaiah 49:6 – “(The Lord) says: ‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Isaiah 52:10 – “The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.”

Isaiah 56:7 – “..these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Isaiah 61:11 – “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”

Isaiah 66:18 – “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.”

Isaiah 66:20 – “And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD — ..”

Isaiah 66:23 – “‘From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’ says the LORD.”

Jeremiah 3:17 – “At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”

Jeremiah 33:9 – “Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.”

Ezekiel 39:21 – “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them.”

Daniel 7:14 – “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Zephaniah 2:11 – “The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the land. The nations on every shore will worship him, every one in its own land.”

Zephaniah 3:9 – “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.”

Haggai 2:7 – “‘I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Zechariah 8:23 – “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, “Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”‘”

Zechariah 9:10 – “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Malachi 3:12 – “‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the LORD Almighty.”